Population: Meaningless after a City hits Level 5?

from Elemental Forums

I had thought that population added some sort of passive bonus to gildar/production/research, separate from the City level. But, on re-reading the manual and looking at several level 5 cities, it doesn't seem like a population of 2k would be any different from a population of 1.5k?

I did a search, and some (older) posts indicated that population used to provide a bonus distinct from city level. So, to clarify, is population meaningless after a city hits level 5 in version 1.02? Thanks in advance!

15,865 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top


Try getting a Death Archmage }:)

 

All those people are just waiting to boost your mana pool.  More mana = more casts of Destiny's Gift or Insight = better champs.

 

JJ

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

I believe you can also get extra city defenders based on your population, even after level 5 (but I do not know exactly when they appear).

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Well, I'm about to start an Empire faction for the first time, so I'll keep an eye out for Death Archmage. ;) A growth per turn of 10 is useful for that, then?

I looked at my old savegames, and I sadly overwrote the game where I had multiple level 5's of the same city type. Within Conclave level 3's and Town level 4's, they all seemed to have the same number of freebie garrison troops.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Death Magic V gives a spell Sacrifice (please, correct me if I got spell level wrong) which sacrifices half of the population in a player's city and every sacrificed people gives 1 mana instead.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

Your tax income increases solely on population.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

That's no longer the case. Tax is now based on city level (the hub provides the income). The OP is correct, the actual population no longer matters after you gain the city level (this actually applies somewhat to lower levels as well as lv5 - if you know you can't get to lv5). This is something I pointed out during beta 4 when the system was changed, but no one else seemed to care. As it is, you want to cast your +grain and +food spells so that you can get to lv5 (or the next level), then replace those spells with something else.

Sacrifice is just another example of that cheese.

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

Where the f have I been? X|

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Kalin, reply 7
That's no longer the case. Tax is now based on city level (the hub provides the income). The OP is correct, the actual population no longer matters after you gain the city level (this actually applies somewhat to lower levels as well as lv5 - if you know you can't get to lv5). This is something I pointed out during beta 4 when the system was changed, but no one else seemed to care. As it is, you want to cast your +grain and +food spells so that you can get to lv5 (or the next level), then replace those spells with something else.

Sacrifice is just another example of that cheese.

 

Whoa- so if I am understanding you correctly, once a city hits level 5 it will stay at level 5 with a population of 20? So level 5 cities (and level 4's that will never reach 5) are mana batteries?

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

Yes and yes (and not just mana, they make tons of gold and research even if they have no population).

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

Good to know- and my mana comment was directed towards sacrificing the population to make mana. So, mana in addition to the normal output of a city. Unless there is a way to sacrifice citizens to make gold and research as well? I'm still pretty new to this game...